Digital Collaboration (Network Engineer) Level 4 Apprentice
THAMES WATER UTILITIES LIMITED
Reading (RG1 8DB)
Closes in 21 days (Friday 6 March 2026)
Posted on 11 February 2026
Contents
Summary
Kick‑start your IT journey as a Digital Collaboration Engineer Apprentice. You’ll support frontline tech services - AV, booking systems, kiosks, vending, and print - ensuring smooth operations for the UK’s largest water and wastewater provider.
- Wage
-
£22,500 a year
- Training course
- Network engineer (level 4)
- Hours
-
Hours: 36 hours a week across four working days plus one off-the-job training day Monday - Friday, exact working hours TBC
36 hours a week
- Start date
-
Tuesday 1 September 2026
- Duration
-
2 years 3 months
- Positions available
-
2
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
What you’ll do:
- Troubleshoot and fix hardware/software issues and perform root‑cause analysis
- Set up and configure AV, booking tools, kiosks, vending devices, and print services
- Support meeting rooms, booking systems, kiosks, and print workflows
- Use monitoring tools to spot issues early and keep documentation up to date
- Work with service leads, product teams, and vendors to resolve requests.
- Contribute to service reviews and improvement initiatives
Where you'll work
Clearwater Court
Vastern Road
Reading
RG1 8DB
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
FIREBRAND TRAINING LIMITED
Training course
Network engineer (level 4)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Apply tools and techniques when securely operating and testing networks.
- Install and configure network components.
- Implement tools and techniques to monitor, identify, analyse and record systems performance in line with defined specifications.
- Maintain security of the network against potential threats.
- Apply tools and or techniques to gather information to troubleshoot issues and or isolate, repair or escalate faults.
- Communicate outcomes of tasks and record actions in line with organisational procedures.
- Upgrade, apply and test components to systems configurations ensuring that the system meets the organisation’s requirements and minimises downtime.
- Interpret information and or specifications received from a manager, customer or technical specialist and accurately implement the defined requirements.
- Implement techniques to optimise systems or component performance in line with defined specifications.
- Apply the required level of responsibility when organising and prioritising work tasks, clients’ or stakeholders’ requests in line with SLAs and organisation processes.
- Explain their job role within the business context to stakeholders to enable a clear understanding on both sides of what their remit is and convey technical constraints.
- Operate securely, and apply process, policies and legislation within their business responsibilities.
- Configure and maintain network addressing in line with customer requirements.
- Ensure compliance of network engineering outputs with change management processes including Secure Access Service Edge SASE or Zero-trust networking .
- Apply tools and techniques when securely operating and testing networks.
- Install and configure network components.
- Implement tools and techniques to monitor, identify, analyse and record systems performance in line with defined specifications.
- Maintain security of the network against potential threats.
- Apply tools and or techniques to gather information to troubleshoot issues and or isolate, repair or escalate faults.
- Communicate outcomes of tasks and record actions in line with organisational procedures.
- Upgrade, apply and test components to systems configurations ensuring that the system meets the organisation’s requirements and minimises downtime.
- Interpret information and or specifications received from a manager, customer or technical specialist and accurately implement the defined requirements.
- Implement techniques to optimise systems or component performance in line with defined specifications.
- Apply the required level of responsibility when organising and prioritising work tasks, clients’ or stakeholders’ requests in line with SLAs and organisation processes.
- Explain their job role within the business context to stakeholders to enable a clear understanding on both sides of what their remit is and convey technical constraints.
- Operate securely, and apply process, policies and legislation within their business responsibilities.
- Configure and maintain network addressing in line with customer requirements.
- Ensure compliance of network engineering outputs with change management processes including Secure Access Service Edge SASE or Zero-trust networking .
Training schedule
- Knowledge, skills and behaviours as set out in the Level 4 Network Engineer Standard
- This aligns with British Computer Society, The Chartered Institute for IT for Register of IT Technicians level 4
- Your training includes a mix and blend of virtual learning and periodic residential block release at their dedicated training centre in Bedford. Accommodation will be provided
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
Other in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
Other requirements
Drive with own vehicle and business use car insurance will be needed.
About this employer
Who are we? We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come
https://careers.thameswater.co.uk/our-roles/early-careers/ (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
- Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance targets
- Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances
Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
Permanent contract with a 27-month structure programme.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
FIREBRAND TRAINING LIMITED
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000014648.
Apply now
Closes in 21 days (Friday 6 March 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.